[DONNA]

Im sat here trying to stop myself from crying by writing this to release some of the emotion im feeling right now,but im actually still in shock.

I have just been for my usual walk with Buddy same field same time as always,today Mia my 10 year old was with me.

As we entered the field i saw a man and his wife (didnt see a dog ) they went round the corner and i let Buddy off lead (he must of clocked that they had a dog before i did) Anyway he ran striaght upto their dog (who was also off lead) I then heard the man screaming "get your bloody dog" as i turned the corner Buddy was being his bouncy self trying to get the dog to play with him the other dogs tail was wagging so all friendly the dog had a couple of barks at Bud but nothing major.

Then the man went crazy F..king this f..king that and started to kick Buddy (well try Buds very quick!) i shouted "he's only a puppy he just wants to play he's friendly" (while trying to catch up with them they carried on walking at a pace)

"get your bloody dog under control" "that f..king women" he was shouting

By this time Mia was scared so would not follow me to get Buddy i was trying to catch up but they wouldnt stop so Buddy kept following (still just bouncy around wanting to play even though the man kept kicking him)

I eventually caught up shouting "stop kicking him please" (maybe im too polite!)Anyway i got him his wife was laughing !!! they turn around and walked back the same way we had come??? i had to walk the same way as Mia was back there anyway he was f..king this f...ing that at the top of his voice while walking past her she was very upset.

Im a bit in shock actually ,yes Buddy does run upto other dogs when off lead and they do to him thats what happens when your in a field where dogs are off lead yes Buddy's recall is a bit hit and miss but most people understand they wait for me to catch up let the dogs have a play then carry on.

Ive carm down a bit now by writing this ,im nervous about going back there tomorrow i will have to keep Buddy on the lead just in case .

 

[wellerfeller]

Big hugs Donna, I know some people can find it very annoying when an over friendly dog approaches but there was no need for him to react like that in front of your little girl too. How awful for the pair of you.
I hope Buddy is ok and none of the kicks hurt him.
Have you met them before on a walk??
Perhaps their dog was not all that friendly so their reaction may have been more about their dog than Bud being over friendly.
Try not to let it affect your confidence and like you say just have a good look around before letting Buddy off next time as they will ALWAYS know there is a dog around even if you haven't seen anyone.
Chin up

 

[francesjl]

Too many ignorant idiots in this world !!
What an awful couple to run into - as dog owners themselves you'd have thought they would know how dogs are - its not your fault Donna, as for kicking Buddy, well, words fail me !! I think I'd have wanted to punch him on the nose !
You reacted well considering how obnoxious he was, and with Mia around he should have known better. Put it down to a bad experience and hopefully you won't see them again.
Perhaps you could change the time of your walk or go somewhere different ( although you shouldn't feel you have to ! ) Do you have another adult that could accompany you if that's where you want to go - if you need back up ?
Anyway don't let this idiot spoil your walks - I'm angry on your behalf !
Hope you've chilled a bit and Mia is ok.

 

[DONNA]

Never seen them before ,their dog was fine with Buddy the man was making it worse by screaming and kicking the dogs were fine?? i even heard his wife say leave him its ok.
When i say he was being friendly he wasnt jumping up he wasnt even sniffing the dog he was just darting around trying to get him to chase him i think?

Your right im sure some people cant handle friendly dogs but when your dog is off lead in a field surely they should expect there is going to be some contact with other dogs??

Dont think it was a case of their dog being aggressive towards Buddy otherwise they would of put him back on the lead which they didnt,and like i said his tail was wagging he was playing.

I would of got Buddy sooner if they hadnt carried on walking really really fast which made the situation worse.

Do you think i should not let him off lead any more when he's in a field if other dogs are there?Im not sure what to do, Buddy really didnt do anything wrong ,he's not aggressive he wasnt jumping up he wasnt barking at the dog or owners he was just running around in circle's wanting to play.

 

[wilfiboy]

Gosh.......................................... I would only expect this reaction if your dog was being aggressive and even then no need for the language especially with your daughter there, sounds like a case of aggressive man never mind dog, even if they'd explained that their dog was aggressive, which it did nt appear to be, they were still over the top. We had an 8 month old keep following us at weekend, Mable would go and play with it but it would follow us when she came back, I kept stopping giving it chance to return it to its owner who was sitting in the sun and even made my way back on one occaision, calling to the guy to let him know what his pup was doing ( we were in woods we could nt see each other) maybe I should have just booted it. Hopefully if you have nt seen them before then scary Buddy will have made sure they go somewhere else tomorrow. Hope Mia and Buddy are ok x x

 

[Janev1000]

Really feel for your Donna. Biscuit is like this too and I'm waiting for a day like this to happen to me. You wonder why some people have dogs at all and seem so sensitive about a friendly puppy coming over. I've had a couple pick up two smaller dogs when Biscuit has run over and he's not exactly huge! It usually seems that the problem is with their dogs who don't seem to be well socialised. You can't win though as I've also had someone say to me when Biscuit was on a lead and their dog was a bit off that 'he doesn't like small dogs on leads!!"

I can't believe he kicked Buddy - I would have been so mad!! But I think you were right to sound polite - why stoop to his rotten level!

Hope it's a one off and it doesn't put you off.

I don't think you should put him back on lead. He sounds perfectly normal to me.

 

[wilfiboy]

I would nt do anything differently most people accept that pups want to play, if dogs dont want to join in then they dont and they'll communicate that to the pup without the need for screaming and shouting as long as your ok with Buddy getting told off by dogs then I should nt worry, maybe have something really special that you keep for recall when its really important, a squeeky ball or toy and keep it in your pocket and only use it when you really need it, dont let it put you off.... go for a lovely walk with Treacle and Clyde x x

 

[Turi]

Hi Donna,

I read this as I was walking out of the office and was so enraged & desperate to reply I've logged on using my Blackberry so pls excuse any typos.

My views are:
- you did nothing wrong
- Buddy did nothing wrong
- this guy was clearly slightly unhinged.

To have his own dog off-lead and be angered that Buddy has approached is just bonkers.

To kick Buddy is just shocking. You should pat yourself on the back for keeping your cool. I don't think I'd be able to trust my reactions if someone did that to Saffi.

To swear in front of Mia is unacceptable.

To carry on walking before you got there? To be honest he just sounds a bit dim.

I can more than understand why this has upset you and I'm relieved that you're able to vent some of your frustrations out here. Now, have a glass of wine. Give Mia a cuddle. Give Buddy a cuddle and put this memory in a box somewhere at the back of your mind. This horrible person doesn't warrant you spending any more time thinking about him and you certainly should change your route with Buddy.

Sending big hugs x

 

[DONNA]

I know not everyone on here has fields surrounding them where they can walk their dogs off lead but for those that do ,was your puppy like this at 10mths?? ie: would they run off whenever they caught sight of another dog ? and would you struggle with the recall when they were playing with another dog??

I have been practiceing and practiceing with Buddys recall and he's fantastic its just when another dog is around ,i really dont know what im doing wrong or is it an age thing?

My neighbours dogs are walked at 6am so they dont bump into other dogs they are never taken anywhere with them especially if other dogs are around i really dont want to become one of these owners we have have always taken Buddy everywhere with us he really is part of our family .

 

[wilfiboy]

Mables recall has always been great, Wilf on the other hand when he was little would want to play with other dogs, he only ran after dogs on a few occaisions, I had more trouble with him wanting to follow the dogs he'd been playing with rather than come with us and a few times had to then go after him.
Are there any woods you can walk in you dont tend to get the same view of the area, you cant quite see so far, could help x x

 

[wilfiboy]

PS people were always fine if Wilf followed them usually they'd walk so far, I'd try not to go after him, and then they'd stop and/or I'd have to go after him.... usually shouting "do you want another one" or "you're obviously more interesting than me"
Dont worry go out tomorrow and enjoy your walk x x

 

[colpa110]

Poor Donna, I can hear how it has shaken you. Some people just over react.
On the Look Out walk a couple of weeks ago Betty went up to a chap that was sitting down on a log -you would have thought from his reaction she was about to maul him to death - and anyone who has seen Betty will tell you how ridiculous that is!! Fortunately these people are in the vast minority but it's still upsetting when you come across them.

 

[flounder_1]

Oh Donna I can totally understand how and why you are feeling so upset. I would be too. Lolly is always bouncy around other dogs but luckily her recall is usually ok. How you kept your cool with them swearing in front of your daughter is beyond me so well done.

I really like Turi's comment that the man must have been a bit dim!!! Drunken louts they sound like to me. The sort of people that get a kick out of upsetting others. Bullies.

If you have walked that way lots and never encountered them before I think it is highly unlikely that you will come across them again in the future. Please don't let this put you off. Think of all the other lovely dog owners you have met before this incident. I'm sure you'll meet many more lovely ones again in the future.

 

[DONNA]

Thanks everyone , im the type of person that can see everyones point of view hence the reason i worry so much i know i shouldnt care what that man thinks of me and Bud but i cant help it thats me.

I was so happy earlier as weve just brought a [email protected] caravan so we can enjoy some quality uk holidays with our new pup ! Now all i feel is sick to my stomach!

Buddy dosnt care he's on his back chewing my water bottle like butter wouldnt melt!

 

[xxxxxxxxhantsmummy]

So sorry you had to encounter such a moron. Shocking is all I can say. How you controlled yourself I don't know. Don't let him put you off x

 

[Pollypiglet]

There was no need for the other person to swear or be so aggressive, however I can see this from both sides having had a dog attacked by a dog that was "only playing" cost the owner £250 in vets fees in 2006; It does make you nervous and if you are unsure of your dog you may over react. At the end of the day we all have a responsibility to be responsible dog owners that includes making sure our dogs do not rush up to strange dogs, we may know and love them but everyone thinks their dogs are well behaved and that is not always someone elses perception.

 

[Sezra]

So sorry to hear this Donna...what a horrible sounding man!

To be honest I can't see what his issue was? Buddy was being friendly and if the issue was the nature of his own dog then it should have been on the lead. He sounds like he was completely over reacting and like a ridiculous bully.

Well done for staying polite because if he had sworn in front of my kids like that I would have told him to mind his language (but I would have struggled to do it politely ). No matter what his issue was he behaved in an irrational manner and there is no logical reason why he should have been so rude and insulting towards you.

I know you will worry about meeting him again as that is how I would feel but just tell yourself that he was in the wrong not you and you shouldn't be spoken to in that way. I mean seriously what kind of a**e speaks to a woman like that for not having her dog on the lead!!!

 

[DONNA]

There was no need for the other person to swear or be so aggressive, however I can see this from both sides having had a dog attacked by a dog that was "only playing" cost the owner £250 in vets fees in 2006; It does make you nervous and if you are unsure of your dog you may over react. At the end of the day we all have a responsibility to be responsible dog owners that includes making sure our dogs do not rush up to strange dogs, we may know and love them but everyone thinks their dogs are well behaved and that is not always someone elses perception.

Hi Sue can i ask how do i stop him rushing upto other dogs then ? Other then keeping him on a lead and turning him into an antisocial dog im lost?Any help will be appreciated thanks.

 

[DONNA]

Just done some investigateing and im going to keep him on the long lead from now on and practice with my friends dog allowing him to play then recalling him,it was going so well last week and this he was sitting and staying till called and his recall was perfect ,oh well just shows you can never stop training.

 

[Pollypiglet]

Hi Sue can i ask how do i stop him rushing upto other dogs then ? Other then keeping him on a lead and turning him into an antisocial dog im lost?Any help will be appreciated thanks.

Difficult I know when out with Hattie if I see another dog in the distance I call her to me and wait to see what the other owner does. If they call their dog then I put her on the lead if they ignore me I ask them if their dog is friendly and explain Hattie is only a puppy this usually makes them call their dog. I did have an incident the other weekend where Hattie was chased by a dog who was out with three 12 yr old girls who were busy on their mobiles. Their dog persued Hattie and she screamed in her usual way, they were totally unable to cope with the situation so I caught their dog and insisted they put it on a lead. It was not their fault their parents should never have put them in that situation. Sorry to say but we cannot assume that everyone else will love our dog we know they are lovely but the only way is to ask if it is alright if they play. I think it is more antisocial to assume everyone wants to be accosted by another dog just because it may be what we want it may not fit in with everyone else.